INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Congress withdraws petition challenging rejection of impeachment move against Chief Justice Dipak MisraNew Delhi: The Congress today
withdrew its petitionon the impeachment move against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, rejected recently by Vice President Venkaiah
Naidu.The petitioners, two Congress lawmakers, questioned the decision to assign the case to a five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme
Court.Representing them, senior Congress leader and lawyer Kapil Sibal said the case was listed before the constitution bench through an
administrative order and the Chief Justice "can't pass such orders" as it was conflict of interest
Mr Sibal questioned who had passed the order."It is grossly illegal, grossly unfair and against the principles of natural justice," said
lawyer Prashant Bhushan.The Congress petition had said Venkaiah Naidu's decision to reject the opposition's impeachment notice was "illegal
and arbitrary" and taken in a "cavalier, cryptic and abrupt manner", without an inquiry.The judges assigned to hear the Congress' challenge
were Justices AK Sikri, SA Bobde, NV Ramana, Arun Mishra and AK Goel
Justices Bobde and Ramana are both in line for chief justice
Justice Sikri, the head of the bench, is number six in seniority.Last month, the impeachment petition signed by over 60 Rajya Sabha
parliamentarians called for Justice Misra's impeachment six months before he retires
The motion "doesn't deserve to be admitted", Mr Naidu, the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, said just three days later.
